On May 1st the Friends of the Umpqua Hiking Club
traveled south on I-5 to revisit and hike Lower Table Rock
one of the wonderful U-shaped mesas which are the
remnants of a lava flow that happened 9.6 million years
ago.
There were 18 hikers who watched the weather turn from very
wet to perfect hiking weather as they approached the trail
head. Unfortunately the clouds blocked the views of the
Crater Lake Rim and Mt. McLoughlin but views of the Rogue
valley and the surrounding snow-capped mountains made the
5.5 mile hike worth the climb.
The dark blue camas were on show as were the cat’s ears (Calochotus
macrocarpus), the pink swatches of sea blush (Plectritis)
and the wonderfully showy blue-eyed Marys (Collinsia
Grandiflora) . We had Pete, a horticulturist, with us who
was a wonderful source of information as he identified
coyote mint and an exquisite cliff fern among others. Table
Rock deserved its reputation as a wonderful spring wild
flower show.
The trail down to the adjoining mesa is overgrown by trees
and brush so those wanting a longer hike were frustrated
but were satisfied with the day’s offerings of views and
flowers. There were several new faces who joined the group
which enriched the hike. All in all, Table Rock offers
treasures of botany, geology and of course the scenic fix
for which we hike.
